Do you remember the emotions?

[VA Elite]

I have killed many deer with a compound and I remember them all, especially the first. I hope to one day in the very near future be able say that about my first trad kill. I assume most of you remember the first trad kill. But do you recall the emotions that you had when you first put your hands on the recovered animal? Was it far more emotional than you expected?

[njloco]

This is an interesting subject because my first trad kill on a whitetail wasn't until 1996, though I was shooting since 1957-58. The reason is, I never really went hunting for deer. The best part of the hunt was, I got it on the first day of hunting, the worst part of the hunt was, I spined the doe and, had to go down and shoot miss cutey pie up close and face to face. That tore me up pretty good and I swore that would never happen again and made the mistake of going right out and buying a wheelie bow so it wouldn't happen again and, it never did.

Took me until 2008 to realize my mistake, but every thing has been straightened out now. I haven't actually shot at any deer since getting back into Trad, only because I've become very picky.

There is very few feelings in the world like those when you walk up to the first critter you ever shot with a trad bow!

And a big part of the coolness of trad hunting is that you keep getting that feeling, even on the 100th critter!

You have to put in some hard work to get good enough to hunt successfully with trad equipment!

Good luck on your quest!

Bisch

[Kopper1013]

Well..... I had killed quite a few with compound to, a gave it all up cold turkey 4 years ago and went deer less for two years before taking my first on year number 3.

During those first two years I am shamed to say two deer where wounded and lost, one was fatal. I tried taking shot that where chip shots for my compound, didn't work well with my bear. I learned, I grew. As you probably know wounding an animal will haunt you.

Year three I took a doe clean. She bounded out to 30 yards stood there looked around, flicked her tail and feel over. I was sooooo excited. I felt redeemed for those past two, I felt like I had accomplished something.

That being said,I don't believe I felt to much different than I did when I took my first deer with any equipment. I feel, traditional archery for me, has put more of an emphasis on the hunt rather than the kill. I often now feel a little sadness that the pursuit is over but rejoice for the meat in the freezer. As I go further into traditional archery I keep challenging myself, and I believe that challenge is what makes the hunt/kill rewarding.

Some of the guys here have tried for many many years to get their first, they may have a much stronger reaction when they finally fill a tag. I feel blessed to have gotten one so quickly in my pursuit.

[ron w]

It doesn't matter what the weapon.......taking something's life should always hit home. Just my thoughts.

[David Mitchell]

Originally posted by ron w:
It doesn't matter what the weapon.......taking something's life should always hit home. Just my thoughts.

Ditto what Ron said.

[VA Elite]

Believe me Ron it does hit home and should with any weapon. I was more less meaning what it felt like after all the hard work and preparation it took to get to that point with trad gear. What did it feel like to see the fruits of your labor?

[McDave]

My first trad kill is the one in my avatar picture. It was about as picture perfect as it can get.  It was about 4:00 PM on a January evening in New Mexico and the sun was beginning to go down. I had hunted out as far as I was going to go, and was headed back toward the truck.  Since I was covering ground that I had walked over earlier in the day, I really wasn't expecting to see anything, so I really wasn't in hunter mode.  I was just walking back to the truck, although still trying to be quiet about it.  

I came around some junipers, and there he was, with his head down grazing on something behind a bush. It took me a moment to see the antlers, but they were moving and the branches weren't.  I could see enough to know that it was a keeper.  The whole body of the deer was exposed broadside, about 30 yards away.  I made a good shot and the deer ran off in the direction of the truck. I waited a while, but perhaps not as long as I should have, because it was beginning to get dark.  It was easy to track, because it had kicked up great clods of dirt during its final run. The deer was on the ground when I found it, still alive but gasping. I kept back until he died, a few minutes later.  That was the emotional part for me, I guess, waiting for the deer to die.  But from the looks of the deer, he had a good life, and no doubt suffered less at the end than most of us will, however we go.  The only further respect I could pay to that deer was to eat all the meat, which I enjoyed for a long time thereafter.

In retrospect, the only negative thing that happened was that it was almost too easy.  He was at the edge of my hunting range, and luck played a part in the arrow hitting his heart from that distance. For some time thereafter I was overconfident, and took some shots that I really shouldn't have taken.  Well, things balance out, and hopefully I'm more realistic about things now.

[ron w]

I have killed deer with a compound and a bunch with rifles and handguns. Been trying to do it with a Trad bow for over 46 years, when it does happen I know there will be a tremendous felling of satisfaction and accomplishment. Maybe I can pull off a big game kill this year in Quebec, Bear quest #9.......

[Charlie3]

I was pretty damned excited when I took my first whitetail on my 9th birthday with a rifle, but I was even more excited when I shot my first whitetail with a recurve as a young adult. My first thought was I am an addict!! I get so excited I usually have trouble going to bed that night, even after dragging/gutting/skinning.

[Etter]

My first trad kill was four seasons ago.  We were chasing bears in the mountains of N GA and were four miles from the truck.  I cleanly killed the sow and it was something else!  Two weeks later, I spine shot a big doe and through a series of really unlucky and stupid events, I held her mouth closed and plugged her nostrils.  I'm surprised I kept hunting with a trad bow after that one.  It was awful.  

The one that really felt like an achievement was my first GA bear.  I had scouted all summer and had found only one place that had acorns.  My first day of hunting that area, I stalked up to a 200lb sow in a tree and killed her within seconds of her climbing down.  I figured it took me over 100 miles of scouting to make that hunt happen and hundreds of hours of shooting as well.  It was quite a feeling.

I did notice that after hunting for a few years and having regular success, traditional archery becomes "just archery".  The other stuff doesn't even enter your mind anymore.  

At this point, I don't feel handicapped in any way from the wheelie bow boys.

[Cwilder]

First trad kill was a doe. I shot her at about 1 yard or so hit her in the spine. She went down and so did I. I had to sit down the Adrenaline was pumping so hard. Once I gathered myself I put a finishing shot on her.
I've killed some nice deer with other equipment that never shook me as bad as her

[Izzy]

Having killed animals with every weapon known to man aside from a crossbow and an atlatl the feeling of killing is always the same to me . The sense of achievement from killing trad critters is much greater to me but killing is killing and I take it all very seriously.

[MnFn]

I will never forget it.  Almost as clearly, I remember the feeling when I saw the buck, concentrated on his chest, drew and released; then watching an arrow appear right where I was looking. As perfect a shot as I will ever make.

[MnFn]

How do this happen? Duplicate post, sorry.

[DennyK]

I remember the first deer I took with trad equipment, 23 or so yard shot from a treestand with a 64# MAII Widow, hit right where I was looking, 50 yards later she was down. I couldn't talk for an hour afterwords.

[joe ashton]

I too will never forget it.  It was 23+ years ago.
A mule deer doe, 30yard shot, 58# Bighorn recurve, cedar shaft dipped in red with red feathers, a white nock and Zwicky two blade. In my mind I can still see the flight of that arrow. I see the arrow in the deer, up to the feathers! I can see the deer running and hear the crash ( I did not know what that meant!).  After the shot I sat down and began the mandatory hour wait (which lasted about 5 minutes-- that is to this day still very hard to do). I remember worrying that I will spend the next bunch of hours looking all over the mountain for that deer.  I had no idea how deadly a broadhead in the pump station was.  Finding the deer in 60 yards was so exciting... I had to pack it out
5 miles in the dark!! I remember that too.  Yup, I remember the first. (and all the rest too but not with the quite the emotions and excitement of the first).
Joe

[reddogge]

I don't recall any overwhelming emotion. I had been fruitlessly bowhunting for two seasons starting in 1967 and finally got a 25 yard shot at a small 5 point buck, my first shot with any weapon at a live deer. He jumped at the shot but turned into the path of the arrow so the broadhead sliced open his femoral artery, his belly and his intestines spilled out as he ran away.

He only went 40 yards and was dead. I remember elation getting a shot and killing my first deer. Not quite picture perfect but effective.

[VA Elite]

these all great stories. Keep em coming!

[Jake Scott]

Never forget it as long as I live...it also wasn't that long ago so I am still kind of flying!!!  I've hunted my whole life and it is hands down my proudest achievement.

Here is the story:
 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=140444;p=1

Jake